Pneumatically-played piano



Feb. 26, 1924. 1,485,063

W. M. BAUER, PrmumvrcArQmr PLAYEn PINo Filed Nay 11. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

Pezented Feb. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM M. BAUER, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATICALLY-PLAYED PIANO.

Application led May 11, 1922.

To all whom it may concer/n:

y ful Improvement in Pneumatically-Played Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

In pneumaticallylayed grand pianos, the motor (ordinari y electric), and the vacuum-pump operated thereby and contained in a pump-box are commonly located in the rear or tail end of the pianocasing, where they are very inconveniently accessible for purposes of removal, adjustment and repairing. Moreover, as the mo-` tor is support-ed in place, its operation is attended with objectionable noise.

The primary objects of my improvement are to so support the motor in place as to render its operation comparatively noiseless; to render it conveniently accessible and also to facilitate access to the pump for the named purposes.

These objects are accomplished by the means hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a broken bottom plan view of a grand-piano casing showingthe motor and pump-box in operativey position therein and supported in accordance with my improvements; Figure 2 is a partly dotted and sectional side view regarded from the adjacent side of Fig. 1, showing the hinged motor and pump-box carryin rame in elevation in its normally raise position and by dotted representation in the'actof being lowered; Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig. 1, showing the motor on its slidablyadjustable supporting rods iny a hinged frame in the relatively larger hinged frame carrying the pum -box and the motor-supporting frame; igure 4 is a broken top plan view of the larger or combination frame, showing the spring-retracted motor on its slidable supporting rods in the smaller frame, which is hingedly supported in the larger frame; and Figure 5 is a broken side view of the showing in Fig. 4, but representing the smaller motor-carrying frame in its lowered kposition on the larger frame.

The piano'casing 6 shown is like that illustrated in my Patent No. 1,171,921 dated February 15, 1916. On a stationary rail 7 extending across the wider, forward part Serial No. 560,033.

of the under side of the casing is. hinged at one end a suitably braced frame 8 formed to fit inside the rear part of the casing and reach short or' the end thereof, where it is provided with means, such as a pivotal button 9, for releasably securing it in its norinal, raised position. The box 10 into which an air-conduit 1()a leads, as usual, and which contains the usual vacuum pump, of which only the drive-pulley 11 is shown (Fig. 1), is secured in the frame 8 to one side of its longitudinal center. of this frame is hinged at one end a relatively smaller frame 12, shown of threesided construction and having its side-bars releasably fastened at their ends, as b v screws, to the adjacent end-bar of the frame 8.

The motor 13 is supported on the smaller 'frame 12, preferably in the manner most clearly represented in Fig. 4. The supporting means shown comprise a head 14 of any suitable material, but which I prefer to forni of wooden laminas, the headv con taining in one face a recess 15 having sounddeadening cushioning material 16, such as rubber, in its opposite end-portions, through which the feet on the motor-casing are bolted to the head; and the head is carried on a pair of parallel rods 17, also preferably of wood, passing with a drive-it through openings near its opposite ends. These rods bear at their ends on the side-bars of the frame 12, where one of them is conined by clips 18, rigidly secured, each by a pair of screws, to these side-bars, the other rod, being similarly confined by clips 19 pivoted to the side-bars. The under face oi the end of each clip which bears on a rod is cushioned at 20, as with felt, and where the rods bear against the frame side-bars, the latter are also cushioned, preferably with felt-covered rubber, as shown in Fig. 3, to enable the rods to slide noiselessly in their bearings under the motor-retracting tendency of the spring 21 connecting the head 14 with the adjacent side-bar of the larger fra-ine S, for maintaining taut the belt 22, which gears the niot0r-shaft to the pump drive-pulley 11. Sockets 23 and 24 are represented in Fig. 1 for connecting electrical conducting-cords (not shown) respectively with the motor and the supply of current in thehouse.

In a player-piano of the present class, the motor requires more frequent inspection, for

In the opposite side f any or' the aforesaid purposes, than the puinp-meclia-nism, for which reason I have adapted the motor to be lowered on its hinge, troni its normal position into depending-'vertical position, independently ot' the pump-box. For so lowering the motor, afe' remoring the belt Q2, the screws 1n the ends ot the side-bars ot' its trame are withdrawn, when the frame will turn on its hinges into hanging position, in which it may be propped by a box or other suitable medium (not shown) placed underneath its lower end, and wherein it is conveniently accessible. To enable the motor to be removed from its supporting frame l2, as for replacing it by another or for other desired purlioseithis may be readily accomplished, with the iframe lowered and after disconnecting the spring 2l, upon turning the clips lll outwardly on their pivots and liftingl the rod l? out from under its end-conliningl clips 18. No means are really necessary to be pro-vided tor the purpose ot' the clips it and 19 (except that of guiding the motor under the retractive force of the spring 2l), but the latter are desirable by way ol ln'eaution to prerent the motor troni bearing against and maybe injuring` or even breaking the sounding-board of the piano when in upside down position, as it is sometimes placed in course of shipment. For inspection ot the pump-mechanisnn and ol the motor at the same time, it desired, without lowering the latter from its position in the traine 8, the latter, on being released by turning the button 9, is lowered on its hinges into inclined position, without necessarily removing the belt 22 or disconnecting` the belt-tautening motor-retracting spring` In this lowered position of the frame S, the pump-mechanism may not only be repaired or adjusted, and the motor likewise, it required, but the playing of the instrument ma)v be proceeded with, thereby to ascertain whether the adjustments have been properly made, thus without requiring the pump-mechanism to be replaced into and tastened in normal position for the testing and being again, or repeatedly removed and replaced until the adjustments are found to be taultless. The latter are the requirements for testing in these piano-players wherein the motor and pump-containing box are innnovably secured in place in the pianocasing, where their inspection, adjustments and repairs are rendered inconvenient and dit'ticult, since the workmen have to handle their tools in performing the work in strained and abnormal positions non-conducive to either comfort or efliciency. On the other hand, as will be seen, my improvement avoids these objections by rendering the mechanisms conveniently accessible for all purposes and as easily replaceable after being removed from their normal positions.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of construction and 'ombinations ot parts herein shown and I do not intend to limit my invention thereto except as pointed out in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all the novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as permissible by the state ot the art.

I claim:

l. In a pneumatically-played piano, in combination with the piano-casing, a frame hingedly supported in said casing to be lowered on the hinges from its normallyraised position, a head on rods extending through cushioned bearings on the side-bars of said frame in which said rods are slidably supported at their end-portions, a springretracted motor secured on said head in cushioned bearings thereon, and a pumpcontaining box supported in said casing and havinw the pump-shaft geared to the motor.

2. n a. pneumatically-played piano, in combination with the piano-casing, a. frame hingedly supported in said casing to be lowered on thehinges from its normallyraised position, and a pun'ip-conta-ining box and a motor supported on said frame, the motor being geared to said pump for driving it.

In a pneumatically-played piano, in combination with the piano-casing, a trame hingedly supported in said casing to be lowered on the hinges from its normallyraised position, a pump-containin box supported on said-trame, a relative Y smaller frame hingedly supported on said firstnamed frame to be lowered independently thereof from its normally raised position, and an electric motor on said smaller frame and having its shaft belt-connected with the pump-shaft.

et. In combination with a piano-casing, motor-supporting means therein comprising a solid head, rods extending through and tightly secured in the end-portions of said head, said rods being longitudinally movable in bearings, and a pump-operating motor secured to a face of said head to extend therefrom between the rods.

5. In combination with a piano-casing, motor-supporting means therein comprising a solid head on rods, said rods being longitudinally movable in bearings, and a pumpoperating motor secured on said head.

6. In combination with a piano-casing, l

lll

rods extending through and tightly fitting openings in said head and sldab y supported at their end-portions in cushioned bearings, and a pump-operatng motor secured on Said 5 head.

8. In combination with a piano-casing, motor-supporting means therein comprising u solid head on rods, said rods being longitudinally movable in bearings and a pumpoperating motor secured on said head, said supporting means being hingedly supported. in said easing.

9. In combination with a piano-casing, motor-supporting means therein comprisinor a head on rods ext-ending through cushioned bearings in which the rods are slidably suplorted at their end-portions, clips stationarily secured to extend over corresponding endportions of the rods in their bearings, pivotal clips extending over the opposite end- 20 portions of the rods in their bearings, and a pump-operating motor secured on said head.

WILLIAM M. BAUER. 

